The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word NEUTRALS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
N
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U
T
R
A
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S
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The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NEUTRALS mean?
NEUTRALS noun- A nonaligned state, or a member of such a state.
- A person who takes no side in a dispute.
- An individual or entity serving as an arbitrator or adjudicator.
- A neutral hue.
- The position of a set of gears in which power cannot be transmitted to the drive mechanism.
- An electrical terminal or conductor which has zero or close to zero voltage with respect to the ground.